SS American and GK American will meet in one winners’ bracket game Saturday, while Snug Harbor and SS National square off in the other. Both are slated for 8 p.m. GK National and Mid-Island meet in a losers’ bracket contest at 5 p.m. 

SS American 10, GK National 6 

Trailing 4-1, GK National pulled ahead with a four-run home fourth thanks to an RBI single from Charles Moeller and a three-run homer by Matthew Melfi.

SS American reclaimed the lead in the fifth on RBI hits by Anthony Sutera (double) and Anthony DiFrancesca (single), but GKN tied it in the bottom of the frame on John Schardt’s RBI single.

The Tottenville club broke it open in the eighth. Michael Andreano led off with a bunt hit, Joe Rubel tripled him in and Jackson Tucker followed with an RBI single. After Chris Corchado walked, Sutera made it 9-6 with an RBI single. On the next pitch, Sutera got himself caught in a rundown between first and second, allowing Corchado to steal home with the final run.

Rubel pitched three shutout innings of hitless relief, striking out seven, to pick up the victory.

“They have a good team with a lot of good hitters; we just outlasted them,” SSA manager Anthony Sutera said of GKN. “It could have gone either way.” 

GK American 6, Mid-Island 4 

When the rain arrived Thursday, GKA held a 3-1 advantage in the third. Mid-Island, however, erased that edge with two in the home fourth. Eric O’Neill singled, advanced to third on a wild pitch and ground out, and scored on Steve Gerwer’s ground out. An error and three walks followed, the latter issued to Justin Klayman forcing in the tying run.

GKA took the lead in the fifth on back-to-back doubles by Jordan Lisnow and Joseph Cocozza; then tacked on two insurance runs in the sixth. Jason Albert and Louis Andruzzi singled and both came home on a two-run double by Cocozza.

Mid-Island threatened in the bottom of the frame, using an error, walk, single and RBI force out by John Martello to close to within 6-4. But with runners on the corners, Cocozza retired the final batter on a grounder to end it.

“He was a beast. He’s one of our big bats,” GKA manager Paul Fay said of Cocozza, who went 3 for 4 and totaled four RBI while pitching four innings of relief for the win. “Both teams played hard.” 